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Dear NBBJ Representative, Thank you for putting out this request for ideas for UofU's future 10 year plan. I have several ideas that I am anxious to share with you: 1. The University should offer a Bachelor + Degree. To earn this +, a student would have to take 2 classes in the Environmental Department. One class can be in any classroom Environmental Discipline. It could be Computer Science, Marketing, Geology, Meteorology, Dietary, Environmental Science, Biology, etc. The other Environmental Class would be in the Field where they participate in Environmental projects like planting trees, removing invasive species, teaching Environmental Classes, putting on Environmental Seminars, Interning at Environmental Non-Profits like Sierra Club, O2, Utah Clean Air, Infrastructure Projects, and etc. 2. It's very easy to visualize an Environmental Zero Impact Building at the West end of the Stadium parking lot. The building stretching the entire width of 400-500 South, would have shops all along the main floor in front of the light rail stop. There would be breeze ways through this mall for passengers' access and a cafeteria with fresh food from the rooftop greenhouse. The second floor would ideally house commercial office space and have a large room that describes the Environmental attributes of the building. There would be displays reporting current and past measurements of Greenhouse Gasses like CO2 and CH4. Other displays would report Environmental tips and report weather events, ocean temperatures and currents, the harmfulness of plastics, and etc. There would be sources of filtered water on each floor. The floors above would be student housing. The roof on all sides would be covered with solar panels and wind turbines. There could be an aquaponic greenhouse and algae bioreactors that are fed CO2 from the buildings venting systems, HVAC, and water circulation. Battery packs will provide stored energy when the sun isn't shining.The building would be a showcase for a building that is fully contained zero impact building. Our University claims that they are Environmental, but they are far from it. They could join Chapman University's Environmental Certification program but they know they would fail miserably. Weber and Utah State are doing far more. One of my pet peaves is how the display on the South end of the stadium seems to be on 24-7-365. How is wasting all that electricity Environmental? It sets an awful example to students, faculty, staff, and fans. 3. Our Biology Department should bring in Algae research. We were the only school in the Pac-12 not to study algae. There are Millions of research dollars available. It's not only financially lucrative, it's crucial to reverse global warming, keep toxic dust and algae blooms from occurring in Utah. It's a fact that Climate Change is due to the burning of Carbon based fuels. Our CO2 levels have gone from 75-125 ppm up to 455 ppm. The only way to reverse Global Warming is to remove greenhouse Gasses. Algae has been shown to be the best vehicle to accomplish this task. 4. Every building at the UofU should undergo an enviromental exam and be brought up to LEED Gold standards or Chapman University's Environmental Certification. I hope these ideas will be implemented. Thank you so much for asking for input.
Tom Brooks
Sat, 05/18/2024 - 5:22pm
Consider extending trax onto Foothill Bl with park and ride at the Walmart at Foothill and I-80. Serves Park City and Sandy commuters
Catherine
Sat, 05/18/2024 - 12:54pm
Please build some outdoor Pickleball courts on the U of U campus. We are having major issues with students coming to public courts (11th Ave. Park) & taking over all the courts to play. The game of Pickleball is a growing sport & I love seeing the students taking interest in the game but we need more courts for the player demands. I would recommend building a least 6 to 8 Pickleball courts so your student body will be able to play on campus. Thanks for sharing your future plans.
Michael White
Fri, 05/17/2024 - 8:24am
Part of what makes for an engaging collegiate "college town" experience is an easy connection to nearby commercial, restaurant, and entertainment options. While it's exciting to see the plans for the campus and how the campus itself might be improved, I don't know that the goal should be to create a self-contained environment where all conceivable needs will be met on campus, to the possible detriment of nearby businesses. It would be too bad to have a beautiful campus but then have it surrounded by a shuttered or struggling nearby commercial scene. Too late now, but so much of student housing, the medical complex, is isolated from any kind of symbiotic commercial areas. Perhaps the planners could try to do more to support a healthy connection with the commercial areas along 13th East and 2nd South?
Anonymous
Wed, 05/15/2024 - 10:43pm
The U needs more parking (probably through parking garages/structures). It is a joke to live and park on campus. You build all these new dorms and add little to no parking. My 2 children loved their time and classes and the U and the one thing disliked and discussed all the time was the parking. They had friends that opted to go else where for college because of the poor and lack of parking.
Eric Povilus
Wed, 05/15/2024 - 1:44pm
In addition to expanding the Student Union, parking, food, etc., I think an effort should be made to encourage more interaction among the faculty of upper and lower campuses. The core of this would be a faculty club accessible to both. (I have thought that a chair lift between upper and lower would be useful and a great symbol).
ray gesteland
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 7:58pm
Have more and better dining options. The food trucks are fine, but not really. The Union Food Court's options are mediocre at best, but overall poor. Add cheap and decent places that people are familiar with and like. Subway, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, etc. One J Dawgs and a Panda Express don't cut it.
Anonymous
Mon, 05/13/2024 - 4:55pm
The Campus Bike Shop is an excellent resource for our campus community that has been limited by the space provided. The current shop is only 144 sq.ft. which limits the amount of devices we can effectively service. Growth of this shop will both generate revenue for Auxiliary services while providing a more consistent resource for our active commuters. The current location is ideal, next to a main bicycle entry point to campus and adjacent to planned housing footprints but needs to grow to be able to support our ongoing campus population increase and needs to support the reduction of SOV trips to campus.
Solomon Brumbaugh
Thu, 04/25/2024 - 10:18am
I would like to see a grocery store on upper campus for hospital employees, patients, and students living on campus. There is a void up here for convenient quality food, i.e. a grocery store. The goal is to have it close enough that people can walk or ride their bikes to it.
Brett Morrill
Mon, 04/22/2024 - 4:30pm
I would suggest a retail and grocery destination on campus such as a smaller sized Target. The Fort Douglas area could potentially be a location for it if there are plans for growth in this space. It would be helpful for students, employees, or campus guests with purchase needs who may not have transportation or the ability to go to further locations.
Gina Burt
Mon, 04/22/2024 - 11:38am
I would love to see a parking structure in conjunction with a larger union building. The union should also move the pantry onto the ground floor so that it is easily accessible for patrons (the elevator has been a large barrier for the pantry). I would also like to see a larger Feed U Pantry space to allow for more growth of the pantry. I'd also like to see more resources located in the union building to centralize resources on campus so students don't need to jump to as many different buildings.
Brayden
Sun, 04/21/2024 - 11:59am
We need a new union building to host a 40,000 student population as we are expecting to see that growth in the near future. We also need to see better AV hookups, and better parking. Food closes far too early for students with various schedules for both school and work, leaving some to go hungry if they rely on a campus meal plan for sustenance and cannot go at another time.
Bailey Holmes
Fri, 04/19/2024 - 3:04pm
New union building, 24/7 food!!! Fix the parking issues, tickets for no reason and lack of parking. Better building for Games also, the power always dies which is not good for Games majors
Michael
Fri, 04/19/2024 - 3:02pm
Having more larger central spaces that events are able to happen. Having an updated elevator with larger space would help a ton with accessibility. More parking at a central point of campus would also be super beneficial.
Zak
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 8:49pm
More healthy food restaurant options, larger feed u pantry, grocery store, and comfy study areas like in the library.
Abby
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:55pm
large elevators, more accessible roads and automatic doors everywhere to accommodate our students with disabilities.
Delaney Carkhuff
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:51pm
The Union is an amazing place where incredible events take place. It would be great to have a modern and bigger Union. I believe a new Union should have more studying areas, a variety of food options, and definitely more parking spots!
me
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:49pm
More resource centers for students!
Michaela Newby
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:48pm
Central area where clubs and events can happen that’s accessible for everyone. More of an open feel. Possibly a store to draw more people into the union, or spread out dining options, so people explore the building a bit more
Zane Pitz
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:33pm
The union is an incredibly important place on campus. We need the union to host many different events and organizations. The union helps bring people together and that is why it’s essential
Rylan Beck
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:21pm
I would love to see a new union established—a space where students can feel a sense of belonging, enjoy each other's company, dine, and embrace our diverse backgrounds. Additionally, increased parking availability would be appreciated.
Kamree Albrecht
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 3:11pm
The union is often overlooked because it needs to be updated to fit the new needs and wants of the students. It if it was larger, having more room and space for more places like restaurants to eat, it could be seen more as the central hub of campus. It is mostly only used for events and it should be seen more as a place where students can some get any help that they may need. The location of the Union also doesn't feel like the center of campus.
Akshay Wuppuluri
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:31pm
More food options for non meal plan students, catering to commuter students. In the Union, I eep the natural light and more individual seating and tables,
Marisol Rocha
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:24pm
I would love to see a new union! The union is a place where a lot students and clubs meet together. Our union has gotten small compared to the amount of students and organizations that wants to use it. We don't have enough space for all the students that could be here at the union. I would also love more food resources in the union. Since this is a place for students to gather, there isn't enough space or places to eat!
Jazmyn Doughty
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:13pm
I believe the Union is the best place for the cultural, social, and emotional aspect of everyone here at the University of Utah. I have found some of my greatest connections and community by hanging out in the Union often.
Teani Kauffman
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:11pm
I think the University Union is a really important piece in the campus experience. It is one of the oldest buildings on campus and far too small for our student population. I wish it was larger and better fit the current needs of students.
Graeme Christensen
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:08pm
More parking, bigger feed u pantry, more food options, new union!!!
Gaby Karakcheyeva
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:06pm
I love the union partly because I work there, but I think how old it is restricts how many students really enjoy studying or hanging out there. I feel that hallways such as the one with all the flags are underutilized by students despite there being a lot of sitting room. If these were instead tables that could be studied at, more students might be there. I wish that we had a better food court, as Uvu and BYU have a lot more outside popular chains like chick fila . Also wish meal transfers could be used. I feel like the current union is a hangout space only in the presence of events, but wish it was a nice enough sitting and studying space that students chose to eat and hangout on the non food court floors even without events.
Julane
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:02pm
I would love to see an updated and more modern union. It would be nice to have more places to eat in the union that are open longer and more parking is a necessity.
Aastha Kharidia
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 2:00pm
Although the current union is a wonderful building there is most definitely a need for an updated building. More parking on central campus is a major need right now with a growing student body size and more and more students choosing to live at home or off campus with the staggering price of on campus housing. There are also very few places on lower campus where meal transfers can be used which significantly limits meal options for students who have meal plans but also busy schedules where they spend most go their day and n lower campus and have to watch their meal dollars go to waste. Additionally a new union would allow for larger events and more exciting events that would hopefully pull the students away from Greek life parties and going out and choosing to stay on campus and partake in events here
Beckett Chambers
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:55pm
- more parking around central campus -more dining options on lower campus that allow for meal swipes -Better accessibility around the union so the resources there are easier to find -more student housing
Brian Johannsen
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:44pm
We need a new union! I'm proud to be a part of the biggest incoming freshman class for the University yet. I don't doubt this title will be taken though by the next class this fall and the one after that. There's a reason why we are the number one public university in the west according to wall street journal! We are a campus and student body that is rapidly growing which is awesome, but with that comes a need for updated resources and and buildings. I think the most beneficial change would be the building of a new union. The union is the hive of campus, "where all roads lead", and most of the time the first building touring students see. Needless to say it is in much needed updating in order to better support and host the many organizations and events that use it every single day.
Cal Taggart
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:42pm
I would love to see a new union building so that we can meet the needs of our campus that is growing rapidly. With more students applying to the university every year we need a larger student building that can accommodate bigger events and welcome all students to our campus so they can find their own community.
Belle Barlow
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:31pm
I would love to see a new union and more parking
Clista Galecki
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:27pm
i would love to see more parking, and a new union building. the union is my second home and we need more space to have bigger events and more people come inside the building.
Sally Tran
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 1:27pm
With a goal of having 40,000 students at the University of Utah we will need a new Union! The current Union is great but unfortunately it is not able to meet the growing needs of our campus community. We need more space for events and student organizations to meet. We need more space to provide our valuable campus resources in one central location. We need more space to allow businesses to provide services we currently do not have on campus. Parking is always an issue so with a new Union we will need a new parking garage adjacent to the Union.
Ashlee
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 12:59pm
I love the University of Utah. I hate the commute. I live 7 miles away and in 1991 I was able to get from my home to the U in 12 minutes. I hate the very limited public transportation options to get from my house to my workspace. Using public transit should be faster than driving my personal vehicle, currently public transportation takes at least 2x as long. The worst part of my commute is the evening when the traffic increases my travel time by 2-3x. Ideas to alleviate this: Staggered work times/arrivals/departures for employees - not ideal for those with childcare/dependent care restrictions. Satellite parking (perhaps the WalMart on Parleys) with shuttle service direct to Moran Eye Center (this is a central location for those who work at U of U Hospital, Primary Children's, Helix, Moran, Nursing, Pharmacy, etc.) - especially during winter when snow/ice lead to loss of traction (I'm thinking about Wakara Way and Foothill - disaster central). Collaborate with UTA to increase bus service (please work a miracle for the Cottonwood Canyons also). Elevated rail line on Foothill (probably a pipe dream - but why not dream big?!?) Dual flow traffic lanes on Foothill - 4 lanes northbound in the morning, 4 lanes southbound in the afternoon/early evening. (Perhaps the most realistic?) Thanks for reading.
Nikki Mihalopoulos
Thu, 04/11/2024 - 9:52am
Affordability, and more U stall parking spaces. It is very frustrating to have to circle through multiple lots on campus before finding a parking spot, and at times I am late to class because of a lack of parking. As an in state student, I would also like to see more affordability- specifically for those living in state. It really makes me feel bad knowing that although I was able to afford going to the U (through student loans and scholarships primarily), my younger siblings will not be able to afford to go here due to the rising costs of housing, meal plans, parking passes, etc. Please consider the students you have who are paying for their own education related expenses. It really feels isolating to go to a school that is so geared towards parents of students, and students who have parents who can comfortably pay for everything they need.
Marlie
Thu, 04/04/2024 - 9:15am
More student parking spaces closer to student buildings, and more convenience store options instead of fast food. Better accessibility between buildings on campus & longer hours
Teresa
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:50pm
More 24 hour opportunities/late night, things like the library or a cafe where students can go late at night because we all have different schedules.
Ethan
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:49pm
More parking spaces, cheaper parking tickets and commuter services to be more accessible for appeals (contacting appeals directly is impossible) more food that is open for longer, outdoor recreation areas (outdoor tennis courts), more modern engineering facilities (big manufacturing areas for individual student projects)
Jake
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:49pm
More parking space, a brand new union building, more student housing, more ability to shop on campus, maybe even a grocery store of some sort on campus
Cain Frye
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:48pm
A new Union building is a must for the new campus. The new union would be 24/7 accessible and have much more resources available in just one building rather than roaming around campus looking for them. A better dinning area would be great with more food options than just the chartwells food
Aayush Gada
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:48pm
I would like a mall. A place where i can go shopping or a place for social life
Katie Chung
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:47pm
I would like to see a new union and a parking garage to improve central parking at the union
Noah Pelo
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:46pm
A better parking system in the center of campus and a new union building so more students can access it easier.
Adriana
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 1:46pm
The campus of the future should include lots of amenities for the growing residential community - a grocery store has been mentioned and what about a thrift shop for clothes?
Kara
Thu, 03/28/2024 - 12:23pm
Accessibility is a huge issue on this campus. If we are wanting to be THE university for the state of Utah, we need to step it up. Buildings (even brand-new ones) lack door-opening buttons and the few that do have them, half of them don't even work! Ramps are missing, elevators are consistently out of service, bad sidewalks, bumpy roads, and a lack of accessible parking (and lack of parking in general!) all add to the inaccessibility of the U. There are many smaller institutions, like Westminster University, do a lot more with less money and resources when it comes to making things accessible for their students. My sister met with the accessibility office at the U to ask for some accomodations, and they offered her basically nothing and said that lockers (for her art supplies since she is an art major) are prioritized for senior students. There should be a few lockers and other resources always set aside for people who need additional accommodation.
me
Thu, 03/28/2024 - 9:31am